Our two future kings, Prince Charles and Prince William. have made it their mission to save elephants, rhino and other animals from extinction, and they have persuaded David Cameron to host a two-day conference in London, which will be attended by ministers from countries that contribute to the £6 billion trade in ivory, rhino horn and other banned products.

The Prince and the Duke have recorded a video, which will be shown at the conference and released on YouTube, in which the Duke declares: “We have to be the generation that stopped the illegal wildlife trade and secured the future of these magnificent animals and their habitats, for if we fail it will be too late.”

The Duke, positioned on his father’s right, invokes the birth of his own son, Prince George, to explain his passion for saving wildlife.

“This year, I have become even more devoted to protecting the resources of the earth for not only my own son, but for the other children of his generation to enjoy,” he says.

They hope that the video will be seen in China, Vietnam and other countries where demand for banned animal products leads to what the Prince says are “unprecedented levels of killing” by poachers.

The video ends with the Prince and the Duke saying “Let’s unite for wildlife” in Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Swahili and Vietnamese.